Saturday, September 29, 2012

Lunch room

Prawns and Celery Chapsui with Thai Noodles
Picture credit:   Gloria of Canela's Kitchen


at the office lunch room,
i try not to inhale deeply other people's food -

tuna sandwich, slice of leftover pizza,
green salad and mashed potatoes -

because its not polite to peer beyond the
free news daily and magazine glossy covers, camouflaged

flour-fried fish and chips, chicken cream on noodles -
all from the pre-packed frozen trays at the grocery store 

busy, running behind the schedule, traffic at free way, because ...
a million reasons, as I eat my beef stew, warm from my kitchen 

bicycle-loving young fair lady loves Asian spice and flavours,
eating with chopsticks,  must be so love with her Indian boyfriend

two ladies share their food, even down to pineapple
upside down cake, immersed in their problems, an island in table of six

while thin-reed woman complains she over-toasted her beef patty, 
and I tell her - you can have my yogurt cup -

she smiles her thanks, voice subdued in room, I always hear
her voice, strong and high-pitched above the office din...must be tough to be a widow, 

i turn to finish my salad, 30 minutes came fast like summer season 
and i am back at my cube, looking outside the window,  trying to catch   

each maple leaf, each shrub swaying in cool autumn


Posted for D'verse Poets Pub - Poetics, 6 billion others - Hosted by Brian Miller

30 comments:

  1. nice...i like to watch people while they eat...not only what but also how...the canteen is a great place for this..though i often go for a walk with my lunch if the weather is nice...ah and that look outside the window...felt..

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  2. Grace, I love the little snippets and interesting details you shared of people eating in the office lunch room! Nice write.

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  3. I, too, liked your observations. I notice people when I'm eating out, too... and at the mall!

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  4. oh wow..you went all the way around the room with this one...some pretty intriguing people...hey i want to inhale some of what the lady with the chopsticks is having...pretty cool on the two sharing the meal as they talk as well....neat piece grace....

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  5. I really like how you seem to orbit other's worlds. Studying.
    A lot of great lines here, Grace
    ~rick

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  6. Wonderful observations on so many different people and their own peculiar daily habits. It is amazing what we can deduce about people from watching how they eat too. If I hadn't already had supper, you would have made me feel hungry, especially for something spicy with the chopsticks too. :)

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  7. Wonderful 1/2 hour with you and your co-workers. Restaurants and lunchrooms are a great place to people-watch!

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  8. Absolutely and fun Grace I love it.
    And Im happy you like my food pics! Thsnks by the.mention"!

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  9. Excellent observations of life in the lunch room. Sad you had to return to your cube...

    Anna :o]

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  10. It's quite interesting to see what others have chosen to bring for their lunch. Sometimes it can tell you a lot about a person.

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  11. What people eat and how they eat can be surely fun to watch, although some of it makes me cringe, as food and me just don't get along haha

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  12. Wow, a fun tour of the cafeteria and office personalities.

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  13. Oh you took me there. You can tell quite a lot about someone from their office lunches, I would imagine........the prawns and celery dish posted above is mouth-watering!

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    Replies
    1. Yes, you should check out Gloria's cooking...its yummny ~

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  14. Your poems are always a delight to the senses. You make me smell, taste, and see things with your words. I especially love the ending:

    "and i am back at my cube, looking outside the window, trying to catch
    each maple leaf, each shrub swaying in cool autumn"

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  15. Beautiful ending to an excellent poem!

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  16. I really like this Grace. You infused beauty into what most consider a routine, fast, escape from work moment. Nice how you mingled each character with their food. The ending left me with a sense of peace. I hope that's what you felt too.

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  17. You bring style and poetry to the corporate lunchroom, very nicely done!

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  18. I don't why but the poem had a sad feeling to me. Alienation and such things... I'd love to read more food inspired poems from you :)

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  19. Enjoyed this, but it also made me appreciate the different kind of intimacy in my office (15 people in a 19th century converted vicarage)!

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  20. So reminiscent of a time long past for me. The hurry. The rush. The return to the cubicle and welcoming an upset stomach. No complaints now. Life is very satisfying now.

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  21. You really captured a lot of personality here! Nicely done, Grace.

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  22. What a day at the office, especially at lunch time. :-)

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  23. I can smell this one. :) Great job of capturing the flavors and letting them speak for the personalities tied to them. The saying "you are what you eat" seems true on so many levels--like you can often tell things about people simply by what they put in their mouths. I know my diet is quite revealing about who I am! Nice take on the prompt.

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  24. Yummy feelings R us! Fun post, greatly enjoyed.

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  25. I remember that. Looking out of that window watching the clock. It is hard for some people.

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  26. i love your descriptions, Grace! have a wonderful October, dear!

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  27. The office lunch room provides lots of movements of people. It's more informal with lots of variety!. It's a lunch setting where one makes a quick exit! Nicely Grace!

    Hank

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  28. That's a great poem. I really appreciated it a lot. It's very interesting. I'm glad I found your blog. It's amazing.

    House and Land Packages Perth

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